Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Whether clubs are primed to contest the title race, battle over European places or fight tooth and nail to avoid the drop, the winter transfer window (January 1st-31st) is their chance to shuffle the squad.

Clubs notoriously play it rather cagey in the early part of the window. But as soon as a couple of big deals happen later in the window, it often sparks a mad scramble as clubs look to bolster their squads at knockdown prices.

Of course, January is also a time out-of-favour players agitate for a move away or clubs look to ditch high earners.

Pre-contract agreements can also be penned by players who have less than six months remaining on their deals, as we saw with Robert Lewandowski's move to Bayern Munich last term.

So, keep track of all the latest transfers this month with a guide to the Premier League players that are free agents and are to talk to other sides beginning on 1st January 2015.

Monday, December 22, 2014

The January transfer window is open in just over a week and Clubs across Europe and North America are busy targeting new players to bolster their season.
Whatever their agenda, it is a crucial time for many clubs as this transfer window could mean the difference between success or failure come the end of the 2014/15 season!

Here is a round up of all the latest transfer gossip across Europe today!

Liverpool and Arsenal have joined Manchester United in the race to sign Real Madrid left-back Fabio Coentrao, 26, after it was made clear he was unwanted at the La Liga side - Daily Express and skysports.comInter Milan are keep tabs on the situation at Liverpool of winger Lazar Markovic - Tuttosport (Italian sports newspaper)

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has made Wolfsburg's £20m-rated midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (right), 23, one of his top January transfer targets just 11 months after the Belgium international left Chelsea for £18m - Daily Star

Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, 26, but Paris St-Germain are also keen on the Spanish international - Diario AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper) and Daily Express

Manchester City and Southampton look set to miss out on signing Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder, 30, in January after the Turkish side promised to meet all the Dutchman's contract obligations - Daily Mirror and skysports.com

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is keen to make Manchester United's on loan midfielder Tom Cleverley's deal a permanent one. The fee for the 25 year-old is thought to be in the region of around £7m - transfermarketweb.com

Arsenal look likely to miss out on highly rated Bayer Leverkusen holding midfielder Christoph Kramer's coveted signature.The Germany international, who was heavily linked with a £20m move to the Emirates in the January transfer window, has now extended his contract with Leverkusen until 2019 - skysports.com

Arsenal are ready to submit a £4m offer in order to purchase 24 year-old German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp (right) from Eintracht Frankfurt in January. Currently on a deal with KSV Hessen Kassel until June 2016, the player is also of interest to Inter, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Leipzig - transfermarketweb.com

Out-of-favour Tottenham Hotspur and Romania international centre-back Vlad Chiricheș, 25, will be leaving the North London club to sign for Serie A outfit AS Roma when the January transfer window re-opens, initially on loan with a view to a permanent deal - skysports.com

Crystal Palace have made a £2.5m bid for Lille left-back Pape Souare, 24, but the French side will not let him go for less than £3m - Daily Mail

Slovenian internatinal central defender Gregor Balažic, 26, is on the radar of Crystal Palace who are keen to sign the who becomes a free agent at the end of December - skysports.com and Daily Mirror

Crystal Palace are ready to make a January move for Arsenal's 6'4" striker Yaya Sanogo, 21, (below) a French U21 international - The Sun

Fiorentina president Andrea Della Valle fears losing Norberto Neto with the Brazilian goalkeeper strongly linked with a move away from Florence in January, with both Roma and Liverpool touted as potential destinations - sportinglife.com

Chelsea are monitoring the progress of Brazilian Malcolm Silva. The 17 year-old Corinthians striking sensation is also interesting Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United - Daily Star and The Sun

Arsenal have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir, 21, after his father admitted he will only leave France for the Gunners - Le Parisien (French daily newspaper)

Hull manager Steve Bruce is considering recalling Tom Ince from his loan spell at Championship club Nottingham Forest and Maynor Figueroa from his loan spell at Wigan - sportinglife.com and The Sun

USA international right-back DeAndre Yedlin (right) will join Tottenham Hotspur in January after securing a work permit. Tottenham announced in August that Yedlin had agreed a four-year deal to move to White Hart Lane from MLS franchise the Seattle Sounders for a fee of £2.5m. He will be officially unveiled as a Spurs player when the transfer window reopens.

Recently appointed Inter Milan head coach Roberto Mancini has ruled out making a move for Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon when the transfer window reopens for business next month - skysports.com

However it appears Queens Park Rangers are lining up a swoop for the 27 year-old Tottenham Hotspur winger in the January window - Daily Telegraph

Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 25, has responded to interest from Arsenal by admitting he loves the Gunners and says it is his dream to play in the Champions League - L'Equipe (French sports newspaper), Daily Star and The Sun

Greek champions Olympiakos are chasing Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky. The 34-year-old has made just eight appearances this season - The Independent

Former Inter, Lazio, Napoli and Macedonian international striker Goran Pandev, 30, could leave Galatasaray during the next transfer window - Fanatik (Turkish newspaper)

Southampton have moved a step closer to landing £4m-rated Werder Bremen and Dutch international wide man Eljero Elia, 27 (right) - The Sun

Southampton will sign Ryan Bertrand permanently from Chelsea in 2015 - The Sun

Barcelona are ready to loan out teenage prospect Adama Traore and Everton could be in pole position - Daily Mirror

QPR manager Harry Redknapp is trying to sign free agent Lassana Diarra. The French midfielder played under Redknapp at Portsmouth - The Sun

Stoke City and West Ham are ready to try signing Romanian international offensive midfielder Alexandru Maxim, 24, from VfB Stuttgart in January - Ziare (Romanian newspaper)

Swansea City are being heavily linked with a loan move for Benfica's Nelson Oliveira (right) as Garry Monk searches for a striker - skysports.com and South Wales Evening Post

Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli are interested in signing Aston Villa left-back Aly Cissokho in January - The Sun and sportinglife.com

Bundesliga strugglers Borussia Dortmund have agreed to sign Slovenia international Kevin Kampl from Red Bull Salzburg in January - sportinglife.com

Standard Liège's Scottish striker Tony Watt wants to leave Belgium in an effort to kick-start his stuttering career with a surprise move to Charlton Athletic - Daily Express

Saturday, December 13, 2014

It’s that time of year again, when thoughts turn to Christmas and that annual dilemma of what to buy friends and family.

Buying Christmas presents for your partner however, can prove even more of a minefield, especially if you are the kind of man that finds gift buying an ordeal.
This is the time of year when many husbands and boyfriends break out in cold sweats trying to figure out just the right gift to give their wives and girlfriends, so they won’t end up in the doghouse!

First of all start by making a a list of all the things you’ve been thinking of getting her. When you are through, light the list on fire and toss it into the fireplace. Make sure the flue is open!

Think harder and make another list. Spend some time on it. More time than say, the half-time break during a televised football match.

Ok, now look over the list and mark out anything that:
(a) requires an extension cord, (b) you’d enjoy using as much or more than she would, (c) can only be purchased in a hardware store or petrol station, or (d) in any way implies that you don’t like her body, her hair, or her mother. If there’s anything left on the list, mark it out too.

Good, now we’re getting somewhere! This time, make a list of what your partner enjoys doing in her spare time, when she’s not working, raising the kids, doing chores or returning the gifts you got her for her birthday. Add as many things as you can; try to get the list up to at least two items.

When choosing a gift for your wife consider how she will interpret the meaning behind your gift. If in doubt, ask one of her friends or don’t run the risk.

What men don’t understand about gift buying for their wife is........women see the creativity, effort and gift itself as a direct reflection of how much her partner loves her. Men see a gift as a gift! Whether you think it makes sense or not, in general, there is a lot riding on your gift choice – so if you are not planning on taking up residence in the dog house take your gift buying seriously!

Plastic Surgery Voucher:

A sure-fire death sentence. Nothing says 'unconditional love' like a gift certificate for a tummy tuck! Rule number one: It's okay for women to say they're not happy with their appearance. It's NEVER okay for you to agree. This voucher is a one-way ticket to D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

Cosmetics:

There’s no bigger slap in the face than telling your girl she needs to slap a little something on her face. Face it guys, you don’t know anything about make-up anyway, so stay away from something that’s almost a guaranteed failure, not to mention relationship breaker.

A Stripper Pole:

Just because your partner has taken up an exercise class to get into shape, do not assume she will appreciate a pole under the tree!

I know you’re just dying to see your lady’s new-found talents, but installing one of these in your house will only ensure your disappointment when you realize she sucks. Plus she will have all the ammo she needs to start accusing you of going to strip clubs all the time and not being happy with the 'real' woman in your life.

Festive Leggings:

The describer 'one size fits all' on these leggings is your first clue. Banish all thought of sexy snow-bunnies in Alpine ski lodges - these beasts are guaranteed to look terrible on everyone.

As for Sexy Santa lingerie - stop, take a long hard look at yourself and think is that on her Christmas wish list, or yours.........? And really, do you want to be reminded of a fat guy with a beard when you look at your girlfriend?

When it comes to Shaping Underwear, anything that suggests that the recipient is anything less than perfect will go down worse than Frankie Boyle at a kid's Christmas party.

Promise Ring:

Maybe you’ve been together for a while and really want to get her something special this year. Sure, you may promise to love her for as far as you can see into the future, but if you’re not planning on proposing to this girl by spring time, you’re sending the wrong message. You give her a promise ring and she’ll have a caterer booked and baby names written down before Boxing Day.

Gym Membership/Exercise Equipment/Workout DVD:

Tread carefully! Women are always talking about how they want to lose weight, but if you buy them anything that will help them out, they will blow a gasket.
They want to lose weight, but they don’t want you to tell them they need to!

Facial Hair Remover:

These things, hilarious as they may be, are all the rage right now among women. They apparently do work for all sorts of things, but women don’t generally react well to guys suggesting they use them. You may think you’re being clever in getting her a useful tool to use in her never ending quest for beauty, but she’ll think you’re telling her she has a moustache and a unibrow.

Small Appliances: Never give a woman for Christmas any household appliance that you think will make her life easier. If a woman needs (or even just wants) a new blender, vacuum cleaner, toaster or microwave, they'll go out and buy it for themselves. Appliances just send the wrong message.

For me, it congers up images of the 1950's housewife who wishes to please her man by keeping the house clean and has dinner waiting on the table when he walks through the door.

Divorce:

Yes it's true people do it and yes I think it is cruel and psychopathic to do so.
If you are going to end the marriage, don't ruin Christmas and scar her for the rest of her life by handing her a set of divorce papers. Get it over with at least a month before or after Christmas. At least then she can buy her own Christmas present.

The clock is ticking and Christmas will be here before you know it. Now that you know a few of the things you should not purchase, how do you know what would be a great gift?

Be a good understudy to your partner. Listen carefully to what she says. Pay attention to the things she enjoys and the way she spends her time. Does she enjoy weekend breaks, being pampered, reading a good book, going to the movies, eating out or crazy outdoor activities like extreme sports?

You might even try asking her to give you a list of things she would like for Christmas.
(Note: wives/girlfriends/partners, if your other half asks you to make a list of things you would like for Christmas, please do it. Don’t respond with, "If you don’t know what to buy me for Christmas, I am certainly not going to tell you.").

Guys, with a little investigative work you can uncover some helpful hints that will guide you in your gift buying. There are many things that your wife/girlfriend/partner would probably enjoy, but she would never purchase it for herself.

If all else fails and you are still at a loss it isn’t against the rules to ask her to accompany you on a shopping spree, to find the perfect gift.

Monday, December 08, 2014

With the January transfer window only weeks away the wheels are in motion already as Clubs look to bring in new signings in an attempt to secure their own personal goals, whether it be short-term, long-term, finishing top of their respective leagues, avoiding relegation, filling voids left as a result of a number of injured or out of form players etc.
Whatever their agenda, it is a crucial time for many clubs as this transfer window could mean the difference between success or failure come the end of the 2014/15 season!

Here is a round up of all the latest transfer gossip across Europe today!

Tottenham are targeting Southampton's 25-year-old France midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, team-mate Jay Rodriguez, 25, and Napoli's Spain centre-back Raul Albiol, 29, as they look to bolster the squad in January - Daily Mirror and skysports.comManchester United remain interested in AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman (right) and despite the Giallorossi insisting their star midfielder is not for sale at any price, the Red Devils would be prepared to pay as much as €40m in order to persuade the club to part company with the player - Il Messaggero (Italian national newspaper)

Tottenham are also set to move for Celtic defender Virgil Van Dijk, although the 23-year-old is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Southampton and Swansea - Daily Express

Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva, who is valued at £12m has been attracting the attention of Arsenal of late, has now spoken of his excitement about the possibility of joining European champions Real Madrid - skysports.com

Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet remains keen on signing Liverpool's out-of-favour Italian forward Fabio Borini, 23, in January - Daily Mirror and skysports.com Leicester City have had a £7m bid rejected for HNK Rijeka and Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric, 23 (right) who is also wanted by Chelsea and Tottenham - Daily Express and theguardian.com

Serie A giants AS Roma want to lure 25 year-old Tottenham centre-back Vlad Chiriches to the Stadio Olimpico when the transfer window re-opens for business in January - skysports.com

QPR boss Harry Redknapp hopes to bring in some Major League Soccer players on loan in January with LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane, 34, top of his list - Setanta Sports and theguardian.com

Liverpool want Strømsgodset IF's attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard. The 15-year old Norway international will also meet Bayern Munich and Ajax before deciding which club to join - The Sun and skysports.com
Already tracked by Arsenal as well as reportedly being on the radar of Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, AS Roma, Juventus and Lazio, Ron Vlaar (right) Aston Villa's 29 year-old Dutch international centre-back, is according to the latest rumours from the Italian media, also a target of Napoli - transfermarketweb.com

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